Soběslav

Soběslav (Czech pronunciation: [ˈsobjɛslaf] (listen); German: Sobieslau) is a town in Tábor District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,900 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Lužnice, 18 kilometres (11 mi) southern from Tábor. The historical town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

For the given name, see Soběslav (given name).
Soběslav
Town
Main square with churches of Saint Vitus and of Saints Peter and Paul
Flag
Coat of arms
Soběslav
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°15′36″N 14°43′7″E
Country Czech Republic
RegionSouth Bohemian
DistrictTábor
First mentioned1293
Government
 • MayorJindřich Bláha
Area
 • Total20.00 km2 (7.72 sq mi)
Elevation
405 m (1,329 ft)
Population
 (2021-01-01)[1]
 • Total6,928
 • Density350/km2 (900/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
392 17
Websitewww.musobeslav.cz

Administrative parts
Main square

The town is made up of town parts of Soběslav I–III and villages of Chlebov and Nedvědice.

History

The first written mention of Soběslav is from 1293 when the castle and surrounding areas belonged to the Rosenberg family. In obtained towns rights in 1390. Four years later was the King Wenceslaus IV imprisoned in a local castle.[2]

In the 16th century, Soběslav was the seat of Peter Vok of Rosenberg and one of the most important towns of the Rosenbergs estate. It represented the economic centre of southern Bohemia with ties to Bavaria and Austria.[2] This most important stage in the history of the town is evident in numerous historic buildings in the town to this day.

The town was burned twice during the Hussite Wars. At the end of 19th century, the town was connected by a railroad with Prague and České Budějovice.

Transport

There is a small civil airport at the south-western part of the town border.

Sights
Soběslav Castle and Hláska Tower
Svákov observation tower

The historical part of the town is protected as an urban monument zone. There is the Gothic Church of Saint Vitus, Soběslav Castle with well-preserved tower Hláska and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. There are two museums in the town: Smrčka's house (ethnical museum) and Petr Vok House (natural history museum).

There is a natural reservation called Nový rybník in Soběslav.[3]

Nearby the town border there is a forest called Svákov with a small Church of Saint Anne, old Slavonian fortress rampart and pavillon. There is an old trading road which leads through Soběslav.

Notable people
  • František Josef Studnička (1836–1903), mathematician, astronomer and Czech science life organizer
  • Otakar Ostrčil (1879–1935), pedagogue, composer and conductor; visited regularly the town and composed here

Twin towns – sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Soběslav is twinned with:[4]

References
  1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2021". Czech Statistical Office. 2021-04-30.
  2. "Historie města". musobeslav.cz (in German). Město Soběslav. Retrieved 2021-02-28.
  3. "Přírodní rezervace Nový rybník". musobeslav.cz (in Czech). Město Soběslav. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  4. "Rada města" (in Czech). Město Soběslav. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
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